UA In the News — Dec. 9-11

December 11th, 2017

University of Alabama will study improving tornado warnings for deaf, blindTuscaloosa News – Dec. 9
Two University of Alabama faculty members have been awarded a $251,850 federal grant to study how to improve tornado warnings for members of the deaf, blind and deaf-blind communities. Associate geography professor Jason C. Senkbeil and assistant professor of communication studies Darrin Griffin will use the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration grant to build and test a split-screen system whereby deaf people can view a local weather broadcast showing a meteorologist on one side and an American Sign Language interpreter on the other.College and University – Dec. 10

GOP defections from big Republican counties pose biggest threat to Roy MooreYellowhammer News – Dec. 11
Democrat Doug Jones has a path to victory against Republican Roy Moore on Tuesday in Alabama’s special election for the Senate — the same one Democrat Robert Vance nearly rode to victory against him five years ago … Joseph Smith, the chairman of the political science department at the University of Alabama, said the partisan tilt of the state makes it extremely difficult for Jones to win with crossover support — or at least depressed turnout among Republican voters. “Their decisions are going to be very important,” he said. “They can decide to vote for Roy Moore. They can decide to vote for Doug Jones. They can decide not to vote at all. Or, they can write someone in.”

Beyond scandal, several factors make Moore, Jones contest unprecedentedDecatur Daily – Dec. 10
Alabama historian Wayne Flynt has been keeping a tally of national and international media outlets to call on him in the past two months about this week’s U.S. Senate special election, and it’s a long one … “It’s unusual for a lot of U.S. senators of both parties to weigh in on a race here in Alabama,” said Stewart, the former chairman of the University of Alabama’s political science department. “We haven’t had that before.”Florence Times Daily – Dec. 10

Absentee ballots pouring in for Tuesday electionFlorence Times Daily – Dec. 10
Shoals area election officials say absentee voting is going to be much heavier in Tuesday’s special U.S. Senate election than in the primary. The number of absentee ballots is double, and in some places triple, the amount cast in the primary, officials say. “We had 560 absentee ballots (Thursday), and there was a line in the hall,” said Lauderdale County Probate Judge Will Motlow. “This is more than double what we had in the primary.” . . “Turnout will be larger that what we normally have for a special election, especially one during this particular season of the year,” said Bill Stewart, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Alabama.

6 things to watch in the Alabama Senate election TuesdayMarco Eagle (Florida) – Dec. 11
This from the category of “things you never thought you’d hear”: There is U.S. Senate race in Alabama this week that is neck-and-neck … “Huntsville is Republican territory but not Roy Moore territory,” said Joseph Smith, chair of the Department of Political Science at the University of Alabama. “That’s a place where you might see a drop off in Republican voting.” Madison County is also one of the most populous in the state, so both candidates need to perform well there.

UA hosts 48th annual ‘Hilaritas’ holiday concertTuscaloosa News – Dec. 10
The University of Alabama School of Music hosted the 48th annual Christmas concert, “Hilaritas,” with an encore performance Sunday at Moody Concert Hall.The first performance was held Dec. 8. The show featured 16 performances by the Alabama Jazz Ensemble, Huxford Symphony Orchestra and University Singers. Classics like “O Christmas Tree,” “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas,” “Frosty the Snowman” and a holiday singalong of “Let it Snow” were featured along with some new music. Organizers say they try to do something different for “Hilaritas” every year.State Releases Comprehensive Assessment On Alabama’s Surface WatersPublic – Dec. 11
Barring any major catastrophic event, Alabama appears poised to sustain its water needs for the next 20 years, according to an assessment report released today by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs’ Office of Water Resources … The report was made possible by an appropriation from the Alabama Legislature. The University of Alabama, Auburn University, Troy University and the Geological Survey of Alabama also supplied information for the report. OWR plans to update the report every five years.

Why undergrad-run agencies are popping up across the countryPR Week – Dec. 8
A new breed of communications shop is popping up across the country, boasting a bevy of millennial and Gen Z social media natives and often more client demand than it can handle. Student-run PR agencies such as Scarlet PR at Rutgers University, Boston University’s PRLab, and Capstone Agency at the University of Alabama are three student-run PR shops at post-secondary institutions. Other schools are getting into the agency game, as well. Virginia Commonwealth University got its first student-led PR firm, known simply as Agency, off the ground this semester.

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